In the past, a number of bag holders have been disclosed that specifically provide some framework elements that hold plastic bags open while filling or accessing the plastic bags. Thus, by way of example, a number of the disclosures, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,502,291, 3,614,041 and 3,614,042, show plastic bags in holders in an upright and open position.
In the prior art disclosures, reference is often made to non-rigid storage plastic bags that may be resealed and which are currently sold under various trade names and trademarks. Most plastic storage bags may comprise materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene and have been in use for many years. Commonly, resealable storage bags may hold various contents, including solids and liquids, and effectively retain the contents without spilling them, while permitting a user to access the contents without having to tear open the bags or resort to separate ties.
Multiple disclosures show holders that may be suitable for conveniently holding other types of bags open to receive other materials, such as for garbage or for leaves and the like. According to most prior art disclosures, a user may keep a bag in an open position so that items may be put into the bag without having to hold the bag open and upright. However, as expected, there are some deficiencies in the prior art.
In most of the prior art, the holders do not completely surround a bag supported by the holder. Often bag holders that have been disclosed comprise unsightly frame elements that might allow a portion of the bag to be seen. Furthermore, even though a traditional trash can holder may support a plastic bag, often the trash holder can not be easily folded flat for storage.
By and large most of the prior art disclosures do not address the issue of holding up a standard gallon size or quart size resealable bag so that the lip of the bag can be folded over the lip of the framework elements. Thus, in these disclosures, a bag may be held open while the bottom of the bag does not rest on a support surface, which may result in bags being distorted or torn prematurely. However, Tercher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,046 specifically address this issue, but not the issue of surrounding a bag fully. In another disclosure, Gazdy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,651 address both the issue of a bottom support and surround a bag, but do not provide for a framework that may be collapsible. Besides, Gazdy et al. may lead to greater bag distortion and premature tearing because of use of a top portion, which wedges a bag between a wall and the top portion. In yet another more recent disclosure to Blodgett et al., U.S. Patent Application 2007/0187558 a food storage bag holder comprises a cylinder or frame with the top rim adapted to frictionally engage a folded over top of a storage bag. However, the Blodgett disclosure also exhibits the same deficiencies in the prior art as discussed above. While some of the prior art discloses holders with frames that fold flat, these holders typically do not automatically spring open for use.
Each of the prior art disclosures cites the convenience of use of the holders and provides one or more frameworks that may hold the bags. Often, the complexity and economics of constructing these holders may deter practical use of the disclosed holders. Additionally, the disclosed holders may be cumbersome to store and often may have limited specific use. In other words, they may be single use items. However, consumers may often prefer to have multiple uses for their purchased goods.